Crotalaria glaucifolia Baker

First published in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 2: 38 (1871)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Cameroon to Tanzania and S. Tropical Africa. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Leguminosae, various authors. Flora Zambesiaca 3:7. 2003

Morphology General Habit
Erect laxly branched annual to 85 cm, with somewhat zig-zag appressed pubescent stem.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets mostly 9–16 × 1.5–5 cm (lower ones shorter and relatively broad), linear-lanceolate to ovate or elliptic-obovate, appressed puberulous beneath; petiole 2.5–6 cm long, rather broad; stipules 1–3.5 cm long, filiform to linear-lanceolate, caudate-spathulate or leaf-like.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes laxly few–many-flowered; bracts 2–4 mm long, linear-subulate to linear-lanceolate; bracteoles on the pedicel, small.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx (1.1)1.2–1.5 cm long, glabrous to appressed puberulous; lobes narrowly lanceolate-triangular, up to 2–3 times as long as the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard broadly elliptic or subcircular, violet-blue with a yellow basal patch, brown puberulous along the midvein outside; wings exceeding the keel; keel 1.1–1.4 cm long, strongly rounded, crested behind the short narrow beak and with an obliquely lateral spur from the leading edge.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod 4–8 cm long, subcylindrical, rather markedly inflated and somewhat broadened distally, abruptly contracted into a 5–15 mm long stipe, sparsely appressed puberulous, 24–32-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 3.5–5 mm long, oblong-cordiform, reticulate-rugose, dark brown or black.
[FZ]

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit
Erect annual, up to 8·5 dm. tall.
Morphology Stem
Stem simple or laxly branched, somewhat zigzag, appressed pubescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets linear-lanceolate to ovate, with the upper ones longer and proportionally narrower, up to 95–150 mm. long, 15–40 mm. wide, glabrous above, appressed puberu-lous beneath; petiole rather broad, shallowly grooved, up to 25–50 mm. long.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules filiform to caudate-spathulate, up to 10–28 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes lax, up to 18–38 cm. long, few–many-flowered; bracts linear, 3–4 mm. long; bracteoles inserted on the upper part of the pedicel, up to 1–1·5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx (11–)12–15 mm. long, glabrous to appressed puberu-lous; lobes narrow, up to 2–3 times as long as the tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Standard broadly elliptic or suborbicular, violet-blue with a yellow basal patch inside, brown puberulous along the midvein outside; wings longer than the keel; keel strongly rounded, semiorbicular, with a very prominent crest on the upper margin preceding the short usually circumflexed beak and also with an obliquely lateral spur from the leading edge, 11–14 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Pod sub-cylindrical, rather markedly inflated, abruptly contracted into the 5–15 mm. long stipe, up to 40–60 mm. long, 13–20 mm. across, sparsely appressed puberulous, often purplish tinged, ± 24–32-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds oblong-cordiform, up to 5·5 mm. long, reticulate-rugose, dark brown.
Figures
Fig. 122, p. 884.
Habitat
Brachystegia woodland and upland grassland; 900–2100 m.
Distribution
T4 T7 T8 U4
[FTEA]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation
Not Threatened
Ecology
Africa: Zambezian grassland, Zambezian woodland, Afromontane grassland
Morphology General Habit
Annual, Not climbing, Herb
[ILDIS]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • International Legume Database and Information Service

    • International Legume Database and Information Service (ILDIS) V10.39 Nov 2011
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0